Streaming Heats Up: Spotify Buys Big Data Firm Seed Scientific

With Apple about to enter its space, Spotify is hunkering down and spending money to shore itself up with the purchase of Seed Scientific.

With a client list that included Audi, Unilever, the UN and Beats (pre-Apple buyout, Seed Scientific is an analytics company that will delve into how bands, listeners and brands interact with Spotify — and only Spotify.

Possible uses for the data include identifying where a band’s fans are, aid in Spotify’s suggestions to its subscribers and improve the advertising reach of companies. “Seed Scientific’s team and technology will now become the foundation of a new Advanced Analytics unit at Spotify that combines cutting-edge math, science, design, and engineering to craft insights, models, and tools with data,” Seed Scientific stated on their website.

Spotify’s acquisition follows the announcement that Apple Music will feature exclusive tracks from Pharrell, as well as Google which unveiled a free, ad-supported tier and music to fit mood and activity on its streaming service.